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homage
Taken at Bombay Beach, California.
Taken at Bombay Beach, California.
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GFX 50R
Aperture f/14 ISO 125 Shutter 1/15 Focal Length 3260/100 
Bombay Beach, California, US
Apr, 2021Views
67
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken at what was at one time the shoreline of Bombay Beach which is located on the Salton Sea in southern California. The actual shoreline has retreated due to climate change. I have photographed the Salton Sea for over two decades and Bombay Beach is one of my favorite places to go in search of images.Time
It was taken near dusk when the sun sets on the Salton Sea and the atmosphere is the most colorful. This late light causes a silhouette to occur and the darkness or the absence of light can sometimes instill in an image a sense of drama.Lighting
The Salton Sea southern shoreline offers much for the photographer to capture late in the day. Late light is full of color but is quickly fading as the sun sets. Because the light is changing rapidly, it makes exposure measurement difficult but it also a momentary time when the earth reveals form that is only lighted that way.Equipment
The camera I used was a Fujifilm GFX 50R. The color this camera captures is stunning and allows for exposure variations that ensure correct exposure. The camera's framing choices are what interest me allowing for wide shots.Inspiration
From the remnants of Bombay Beach to what once was a state park and boat launch, the shoreline is littered with remembrances of the heyday of the Salton Sea. It used to be the playground of the Hollywood movie set that hung out in Palm Springs and craved a short getaway to frolic in the salty water. There had been a large sailboat in this location for some time. I have no idea where it went but this was an artist's response to the loss of this sailboat. This is why I call it homage, honoring the original boat and the artist's tribute to it, in my image. The irony of any boat being placed near the Salton Sea is odd because the deepest part of it is about a mile out and even then it is just not that deep. The Salton Sea is drying up and will cause numerous health issues for the few citizens left who live around it. The predictions of inhaling the cancer-causing dust from it are dire.Editing
I rarely do because I try to capture what is present in a location. Images that are over-processed or obvious, seem manipulated and heavy-handed. A few of today's images sanitize the world in a most unnatural way. Some may like it and you are welcome to do so. But I prefer to allow the world to reveal itself rather than to show the hand of the photographer. As a full-time college teacher of photography since 1979, I have always strived to teach my students to see first and then capture their vision on film or on a sensor.In my camera bag
I carry too much equipment and am lucky to have a full range of film and digital cameras to use. I was also educated in photography in art schools when film was the only choice. From Nikons, to Leicas, to the Fujifilm GFX, to view cameras and the Sony AR7 IV, I am fortunate to have cameras that suit my needs when photographing. Because I work on several projects, I have equipment that suits the vision of each of them. I believe it is important.Feedback
It really depends on how long you have been photographing. Too often there are some who call themselves photographers and this is the only qualification they think they need. Today, photography seems too easy because you just take a picture. You can get lots of likes on some online platform and suddenly you are a hit. For me photography is like breathing, I must create, it keeps me kinda sane. It is my escape from the complexities of life. I slow down and see and react to this wondrous world. I am glad I went to art schools to study photography because I also learned about other forms of art that directly relate to the creation of an image. I found that photography for me was related to drawing. Some do not need this but I did. It is each person's choice. Before you take even one picture, slow down, look at your subject and allow yourself to see it as an entirety and its smaller components. I believe you must see first and then make choices. Photography is made up of a sequential system of choices. Get to know each one and examine your responses. Also, study the work of important photographers. Try to see their choices and learn. I still am a student and will always be one because learning is what makes life fun and our understanding of it deeper. Learn something new every day.
